Pad box



June 26, 1951 1., GULBRANDSEN 2,558,133

PAD BOX Filed May 11, 1949 Inventor Helge Gulbrandsen B is Attorney Patented June 26, 1951 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PAD BOX Application May 11, 1949, Serial No. 92,621

This invention relates to apparatus for oper-.

ating on shoes and more particularly to pad boxes for applying pressure to shoe bottoms.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved pad box adapted for operation on shoes having a wide range of heel heights.

To this end and in accordance with a feature of the invention, a pressure applying pad is carried by relatively movable forepart, shank and heel supporting members which are arranged to be simultaneously adjusted in such manner as to make it possible to operate on shoes of a very wide range of heel heights. More specifically, and in accordance with a further feature of the invention, the forepart, shank and heel supporting members are pivotally connected and provision is made for imparting vertical movement to the connection between the forepart and shank supporting members to change the angular relation therebetween, the heel supporting member being guided for movement in response to the angular adjustments of the forepart and shank supporting members so that the heel supporting member is tipped in the same direction as but to a lesser degree than the forepart supporting member. Consequently when the forepart supporting member is tipped at a sharp angle with respect to the shank supporting member for a high heeled shoe, the heel supporting plate is tipped downwardly and rearwardly so that the pad supported thereby conforms better to the contour of the shoe bottom.

The above and other features of the invention, including various details of construction and novel combinations of parts will now be described by reference to the drawing and pointed out in the claims.

In the drawing, the single figure is a side elevation, partly in section, of one form of pad box in which the invention is embodied.

The pad box is generally similar to that shown in Letters Patent of the United states No. 2,047,185, granted July 14, 1936, on an application filed in the name of M. H. Ballard et al. except for the arrangement of the supporting means for the water bag in that patent. herein, a water bag is carried by forepart, shank and heel-supporting plates or members [2, l4 and I6 respectively. The forepart supporting member [2 has legs 18 formed with fiat supporting surfaces 20 which rest on a sleeve 22 extending between side plates 24 of the pad box. The sleeve 22 forms a member by which the plates 24 are maintained in spaced relation, a bolt 2:; pass t r ugh the sl eve and s de p t s a d As shown 8 Claims. (Cl. 12.38)

2 maintaining them in assembled relation, as shown in the Ballard et a1. patent.

The rearward portion of the forepart supporting member I2 and the forward portion of the shank supporting member 14 are pi-votally connected by a shaft 28, the ends of which project outwardly beyond the side walls 24 and carry gear segments 30. The side walls 24 are provided with arcuate slots 32 through which the ends of the shaft 28 pass, this slot forming a guide for the shaft and consequently for the forepart and shank supporting members when the shaft 28 is adjusted vertically. Racks 34 are secured to the side plates 24 so that when the shaft 28 is rotated the segments 36 cooperate with the rack 34 in imparting heightwise movement to the shaft. Secured to the shaft is a handle 35 by which the shaft is rotated, the upper end of the handle being provided with a spring plunger 38 arranged to enter one of a series of holes 40 in a plate 42 carried by one of the walls 24. By withdrawing the plunger 38 from engagement with the plate 42 the shaft can be rotated to adjust the relative angular positions of the shank and forepart supporting members and the shaft may be locked in any one of a plurality of positions by engagement of the plunger with one of the holes Mi. During this adjustment of the forepart supporting member it will move lengthwise of the pad box and rock about the axis of the sleeve 22 by which the legs [8 are supported. These legs are provided with holes 44 through which passes a tie rod 46 connecting the side plates 24, these holes being sufficiently large to permit movement of the forepart supporting member relative to the tie rod.

The shank supporting member 14 is carried by a support 48 having an arcuate supporting surface 50. The member l4 has formed thereon a convex cam surface 52 which cooperates with the support 48 in the movement of the shank supporting member between its extreme positions to guide the heel supporting member It in a manner to be described. The shank and heel supporting members are pivoted together by a pintle 54 and the rearward end of the heel supporting member extends downwardly and rearwardly and is provided with a downwardly and rearwardly extending slot 56 through which passes a stationary guide pin 58.

The forepart, shank and heel supporting members are illustrated in full lines in positions to receive an extremely high heeled shoe. If now the shaft 28 is turned in a clockwise direction causing it to be moved upwardly, the adjacent ends of the forepart and shank supporting members will likewise move upwardly to accommodate a shoe having a lower heel. During this upward movement of the forepart end of the shank supporting member l4 into its other extreme position, the member l6 moves into the broken line position illustrated with the cam surface 52 to the left of the upper portion of the support 48 so that the pintle 54 connecting the shank and heel supporting members drops to a greater extent than it would in the absence of the cam surface 52. The heel supporting member now moves downwardly and rearwardly and by reason of the arrangement of the slot 56 and the cam surface 52 the forward end of the heel supporting member will drop slightly more than the rearward end. Thus in adjusting the pad supporting members for a lower heeled shoe than that illustrated, the heel supporting member moves from its downwardly and rearwardly inclined position into a more nearly horizontal position, the better to accommodate a low heeled shoe. If now the supporting members are moved back toward the positions illustrated the cam surface 52 on the plate M will operate to cause a greater movement of the pintle 54 than would otherwise occur, tipping the heel supporting plate to a degree dependent upon the amount that the shaft 28 is lowered. It will be understood that the heel supporting plate tips in the same direction as the forepart supporting member but to a lesser extent. Because of this action of the heel supporting plate, shoes with a greater range of heel heights may be accommodated by the action of a single adjusting member than has been heretofore possible.

Whereas awater bag it! has been illustrated herein as carried by the pad supporting members it will be understood that other forms of pad members may be employed in place of the water bag. One form of pad member which would be suitable is illustrated in application for Letters Patent of the United States Serial No. 87,227, filed April 13, 1949 in the name of C. K. Woodman, or a suitably slit solid rubber pad member may be employed.

Carried by the water bag is a pressure applying pad 68 which is constructed to partake of the shape assumed by the water bag and to provide a contour in its upper surface similar to that of a shoe bottom to be operated upon. One form of pad which may be employed for this purpose is illustrated in Letters Patent of the United States No. 2,205,400, granted June 25, 1940, on an application filed in the name of S. J. Finn, although any suitable form of pad may be used for this purpose. The forepart portion of the pad is confined in a frame 62 guided for vertical movement by rearwardly extending links 64 pivoted at 66 to the side walls 24. The pad 69 is provided with a suitable pressure applying cover 68 of leather or the like against which the shoe bottom is pressed.

From the above it will be seen that a pad box having relatively movable forepart, shank and heel supporting members for the pad has been provided in which relative adjustments are offected by a single operating member and in which upon adjustments of the iorepart and shank supporting members for igh heeled shoes the heel supporting member is tilted downwardly whereby it is possible to accommodate shoes of a wider range of heel heights than was previously possible.

Having thus described the invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, members for adjustably supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of the pad, means for adjusting the angular relation between the iorepart and shank supporting members, and means operative in response to such adjustment for varying the angular position of the heel supporting member in a direction opposite to that of the shank portion.

2. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means pivotally connecting said members about axes extending transversely of said pad, means for moving the connecting means between said forepart and shank supporting members heightwise of the pad box to vary the angular relation between said members, and means operative in response to such movement for changing the angular position of the heel supporting member.

3. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means pivotally connecting said members about axes extending transversely of said pad, mean for moving the connecting means between said forepart and shank supporting members heightwise of the pad box to vary the angular relation between said members, means operative in response to said movement of the connecting means for guiding the heel end of said shank supporting member for heightwise movement in a direction opposite to that of the other end of the hank supporting member, and means guiding the rear end of the heel supporting member for heightwise movement at a lowor rate than that of the forward end of the heel supporting member.

4. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means pivotally connecting said members about axes extending transversely of the pad, means supporting said shank supporting member for rocking movement to vary the angular relation between the forepart and shank supporting members, means for rocking said shank supporting member relatively to said supporting means, said heel supporting member having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined slot, and a guide pin passing through said slot.

5. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means pivotally connecting said members about axes extending transversely of the pad, means supporting said shank supporting member for rocking movement to vary the angular relation between the forepart and shank supporting members, said shank supporting member having a depending convexly curved surface arranged for engagement with said supporting means with the shank supporting member in an inclined position, means for rocking said shank supporting member relatively to said supporting means, said heel supporting member having a downwardly and rearwardly inclined slot, and a guide pin passing through said slot.

6. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means supporting the toe end of said forepart supporting member for rocking and sliding movement, means for moving the other end of said forepart supporting member heightwise of the pad box along a predetermined path, means pivotally connecting said shank supporting member to said other end of the forepart supporting member, means supporting said shank supporting member intermediate its ends for rocking and sliding movement, means pivotal- 1y connecting the heel end of said shank supporting member and the forward end of said heel supporting member, and means supporting the other end of said heel supporting member for rocking and sliding movement.

'7. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means supporting the toe end of said forepart supporting member for rocking and sliding movement, means for moving the other end of said forepart supporting member heightwise of the pad box along a predetermined path, means pivotally connecting said shank supporting member to said other end of the forepart supporting member, means supporting said shank supporting member intermediate its u heel supporting member, and means supporting the other end of said heel supporting member for rocking and sliding movement.

8. In a machine for applying pressure to shoe bottoms, the combination of a pad for applying pressure to a sole and shoe, separate members for supporting the forepart, shank and heel portions of said pad, means supporting the toe end of the forepart supporting member for rocking and sliding movement, means for moving the other end of said forepart supporting member heightwise of the pad box along a predetermined path, means pivotally connecting the shank supporting member to the other end of said forepart supporting member, a stationary support on which said shank supporting member rests intermediate its ends, means pivotally connecting the heel end of said shank supporting memher and the forward end of the heel supporting member, and means supporting the other end of said heel supporting member for rocking and sliding movement, said means comprising a stationary pin cooperating with a downwardly and rearwardly extending slot in said heel supporting member and arranged to cause tipping movements in the same direction as but of a lesser extent than those imparted to the forepart sup- The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Name Date Finn July 26, 1938 Number 

